If your pet is scratching and you’ve noticed specs of black in their fur, not only do they have a flea problem, but you most likely have a flea infestation in your house as well.
One of the mistakes people commonly make when treating for fleas on their pets is forgetting to treat the areas where their pets live, sleep, and play.
This is like giving your baby a bath, but never changing the crib sheets or washing the high chair. It just doesn’t make any sense.
You don’t want to clean Spot and Fluffy and have fleas jumping back on them from the carpet or their favorite bed in a few days.
If you really want to help your pet and get rid of fleas in your home, you need to invest in quality products. You’ll probably need to have a couple different ones that can work together to eliminate fleas at every stage of their life-cycle, and in every place they might be hiding in your home and on your pet.
To help you out, we’ve reviewed five of the best flea bombs on the market.
Take a look!
Top 5 Best Flea Foggers and Bombs
Short on time? Check out below our top Flea Foggers and Bombs. Continue reading if you want to learn more!
1. Precor Plus Fogger
This bomb provides double duty with one ingredient to kill adult fleas and another to stop the developing fleas. One canister can treat up to 750 feet and can prevent future fleas for up to 7 full months. The makers suggest vacuuming every other day for 14 days after treatment.
Precor is one of the most recommended brands by veterinarians and pest professionals.
The Good:
- No odor once fogging is complete
- Last up to 7 months
- Kills fleas throughout their entire lifecycle
- Easy to apply and won’t stain carpet or furniture
The Bad:
As with all insecticides, some fleas can build up a resistance
Features:
- Best Success Track Record
- Effective Up To 7 Months & 3,000 Cubic Feet of Range
- Contains “S-Methoprene” Needed To Kill Flea Eggs, Larvae, And Babies
2. Adams Flea & Tick Fogger
This three-can fogger pack treats carpets, curtains, couches, and other upholstery and is specifically formulated to really get into cracks where fleas hide.
The active ingredients are Etofenprox, Tetramethrin, and N-octyl Bicycloheptene Dicarboximide which will kill the adults. Adams also has an IGR, S-Methoprene to kill eggs, larvae, and pupae.
The Good:
Takes just 4 hours and easy to apply
Last up to 7 months
Also kills ants, roaches, bed bugs, and spiders
Easy to use, doesn’t stain
No lingering odor after airing out
The Bad:
- Uses harsh chemicals so you need to wipe everything down after use, especially kitchen counters, and children’s rooms
Features:
- Targets Multiple Pests
- Also Effective Up To 7 Months
- No Lingering Odor
3. Hot Shot Fogger6
The household brand, Hot Shot, has created this formulation as a deep reaching fogger solution. In addition to fleas, Hot Shot Fogger6 kills cockroaches, ants, and spiders.
One canister treats up to 2,000 square feet and it can be used in the kitchen if you cover foods and food contact surfaces. It is a clear formula and does not leave any stains or mess.
The Good:
- Two-hour treatment is shorter than some others
- No powder residue after use
- Continues to work for after 30 days following treatment
The Bad:
- Will only kill adult fleas so re-treatments may be necessary after their eggs hatch
Features:
- No powder residue after use
- Continues to work for after 30 days following treatment
- Two-hour treatment is shorter than some others
4. Harris Indoor Fogger
This indoor fogger from Harris works well for all types of pests, including fleas. It’s also effective for getting rid of:
- Cockroaches
- Spiders
- Ticks
- Mites
The Harris Indoor Fogger contains enough spray to treat up to 2,000 square feet. This penetrating formula reaches deep into cracks and crevices, and the active ingredient is strong enough to last for up to 12 weeks.
The Harris Indoor Fogger is easy to use. Just shake the can for a few seconds, set it on a stable surface, and lock the trigger in place.
The Good:
- Kills fleas, roaches, and spiders
- Works for up to 12 weeks
- Treats a large area with one application
- Reaches into cracks and crevices
The Bad:
- Directions can be confusing
Features:
- Kills fleas, roaches, and spiders
- Works for up to 12 weeks
- Treats a large area with one application
5. Raid Flea Fogger
If you like the Raid brand, but need something that will kill eggs and larvae in addition to adults, this is the Raid fogger with insect growth regulator (IGR).
This product has good reviews for effectiveness and short treatment time, but it can have the strongest odor. It might be a good option if you are able to set the foggers and leave your home for a few days.
The Good:
- Four active insecticide ingredients
- Kills fleas and their eggs
- Two-hour treatment time
- Lasts up to 6 months
The Bad:
- Must turn off pilot lights for gas appliances
- Chemical smell can last for a day
Features:
- Brand Name Product
- Effective Up To 4 Months & 3,000 Cubic Feet of Range
- Design For Flea Adults & Eggs
What are flea foggers or flea bombs and where are they used?
Flea foggers and bombs are pest control canisters that release an aerosol insecticide and coat everything in a room. This is great because the fog can penetrate some areas that you may not otherwise be able to reach, but it also means you need to take extra precaution in preparing spaces for fogging.
The active ingredients in foggers can be tetramethrin, cypermethrin, pyrethrin, etofenprox, permethrin, S-methoprene, and nylar.
These last two ingredients are IGR or insect growth regulators. These effectively kill the eggs and larvae of fleas, but not the adults. The other ingredients kill the adults, but not the eggs or larvae.
Flea bombs are used in homes, garages, apartments, restaurants, offices, and other enclosures where fleas could be an issue. There are a few ways to determine if you have a flea problem in certain areas.
Because fleas don’t care where their next meal comes from (it can be any animal or human), wear white tube socks and notice the areas where fleas jump on them. Or put out pie pans filled with soapy water under a light source like a night light. In the morning, you will see which pie pans have drowned fleas. This can help you determine the best places to put your flea fogger canisters.
Each canister provides instructions for determining square footage and how many canisters to use per room. A general rule of thumb is one canister per room, but for small rooms with adjoining doors, one canister may be used. Never overuse flea foggers as too many can cause an explosion if they are near a stove, oven, or pilot light.
Definitely not the kind of bomb you have in mind!
After fleas mate and eggs are released, some will stick to your dog or cat’s fur, but most of the eggs simply fall off. This means fleas can hide on bedding, in the carpet, on the couch, or wherever your pet frequently visits.
Where do fleas hide in your house?
Fleas like to hide in cracks and crevices, so you can also have an infestation in wood floors or baseboards. They are also found on socks and pant legs, in shoes, and on items such as throw pillows and bed pillows.
Adult female fleas lay about 40 eggs per day, so you can see how quickly an infestation can occur. Eggs in your carpeting or bedding will soon hatch and larvae will emerge. These rice-size tiny worms will then wrap up in cocoons and enter the pupae stage of their life cycle. The pupae stay safely hidden in carpet and fabric fibers while they are protected by the cocoon. The eggs and pupae are the most difficult to destroy with their protective outer coverings.
Finally, adult fleas will emerge from the cocoons when they receive signals that a host is nearby. The signals can be vibrations from walking by, carbon dioxide that we give off when we breathe, and body heat.
How to use flea foggers and bombs and are they safe?
Setting off foggers and bombs takes quite a bit of work and time for them to be effective. The money you save by not call an exterminator is made up in the amount of time and prep work you’re going to need to do.
Here’s our recommendation…
- Turn off your pilot lights
- Unplug all appliances, including the refrigerator, oven, toaster, etc
- Put all the food away in sealed containers
- Cover any items in trash bags you don’t want to have to clean up after the fogger is set off
- Take apart the bedding in each affected room so that the mattress, box spring, and frame are all separated providing the maximum exposure to eggs and adult fleas
This is doable, but you need to pay close attention to the instructions to avoid any health or safety issues.
Flea Fogger Pro Tip
Remember, a flea fogger should be used in conjunction with other flea removal products for the greatest chance of success. For example, if you have a cat, read our guide on the right cat flea collars to stop them from actively reproducing and laying more eggs. Deploy flea sprays in key areas like cuboards, dressers, and closets, then foggers for open areas like floors and baseboards. This is a more “complete” approach that should yield better results. Here’s our guide on flea removal if you need more information.
If you have babies, toddlers, or children in your home, flea foggers can be safe, but you need to take extra precautions by letting your home air out for at least an hour with the windows open. This should go without saying, but make sure everyone, including children and pets, are out of the house completely before the foggers are set off.
Once you return home, you will need to clean everything that has come into contact with the aerosol. This may include clothing, furniture surfaces, children’s toys and mobiles, linens, and anything else a child could touch. There will be residue on these items that you don’t want a child to consume.
It is ideal if you can leave the carpets for a few days without cleaning so the insecticide can continue to work, but this isn’t always possible. That’s why the best time to set foggers is when you are going on vacation. Once you return to your home, make sure you open the doors and windows to air out any lingering fog before you come back into the house for good.
